storiesfromsodorfandomcom-20200213-history
James the Red Engine
|origin= }} |origin= and teasing }} Coming Soon |writer=Rev. W. Awdry, Britt Allcroft, & David Mitton Jacobacranmer |previous= Gordon the Big Engine |next= Percy the Small Engine }} James the Red Engine is the fifth episode of the miniseries. Plot James was enjoying his life on the Island of Sodor, but he still had a lot to learn. “You are a special mixed traffic engine,” Sir Topham Hatt told him, “That means you can pull coaches or freight cars easily. But you must learn from your mistakes.” James knew what Sir Topham Hatt meant. He could remember the dreadful accident he had on his first day. “Be careful with the coaches, James,” advised Edward, “They don't like being bumped.” Everyone came to admire James. “I'm a really splendid engine,” he puffed quietly to himself. And he let off steam.A shower of water fell on Sir Topham Hatt's brand new top hat. Just then the guard blew his whistle. [Guard’s whistle is heard.] James thought they better go. [James and Edward’s whistles are heard.] “Go on, go on,” James puffed to Edward. “Don't push, don't push,” replied Edward. The coaches grumbled, too. “Don't go so fast. Don't go so fast.” But James didn't listen. When they finally reached the next station, two coaches were beyond the platform. They had to go back to let the passengers out. No one seemed to know about Sir Topham Hatt's top hat, so James felt happier. Presently, they came to the station where Thomas was waiting with his coaches, Annie and Clarabel. “Hello, James. Feeling better? That's good. That's good,” said Thomas. [Guard’s whistle is heard.] “Oh, that's my guard. I must be going. I don't know what Sir Topham Hatt would do without me to run this branch line.” [Thomas' whistle is heard.] And he puffed away importantly. Edward and James past the field where James had had his accident. The fence was mended and the cows were back again. They ended their journey, and rested before setting off for home. James was still wondering what Sir Topham Hatt would say about his brand new top hat. The next day, Sir Topham Hatt spoke to James. “If you can't behave,” he scolded, “I shall take away your red coat and have you painted blue like Edward.” James didn't like that at all. He was very rough with the grumbling coaches when he brought them to the platform. “Come on. Don't talk,” he said to them, “Gordon doesn't have to fetch his own coaches, and he's only painted blue.” To make James even more cross, no one came near him. “I'll show them,” he thought, “They think Gordon's the only one who can pull coaches.” “Hurry, hurry, hurry,” he puffed to the coaches. “You're going too fast, you're going too fast,” grumbled the coaches. James laughed and tried to go faster, but the coaches wouldn't let him. “We're going to stop. We're going to stop,” they said. And they did. “What's the matter?” James asked his driver. “The brakes are hard on. Leak in the pipe most likely. You've banged them hard enough to put a leak in anything.” “How should we fix it?” asked the guard. “With a rolled up newspaper and a leather bootlace,” replied James’ driver. “Where is the bootlace coming from?” asked the guard. “Ask the passengers,” said the driver. “You, Sir, have a leather bootlace I see,” said the guard to a smartly dressed man, “Please give it to me.” “I won't,” said the man. “Then I'm afraid the train will stop where it is,” replied the guard. The passengers said what a bad railway it was. Then, they told the man how bad he was instead. At last, the man handed his bootlace to the guard. The driver tied the rolled up newspaper tightly around the brake pipe and James was able to set of with the train. But he was a sadder and wiser James and took care never to bump coaches again. A few day later James met Toby at a station. “Yecch, what dirty objects,” he said. “James,” asked Toby, “Why are you red?” “I am a splendid engine,” answered James, “Ready for anything. You never see my paint dirty.” “Oh,” said Toby, “That's why you once needed bootlaces. To be ready, I suppose.” James went redder than ever and snorted off. It was such an insult to be reminded of the time a bootlace had been used to mend a hole in his coaches. At the end of the line, James left his coaches and got ready for his next train. It was a slow freight, stopping at every station to pick up and set down cars. James hated slow freight trains. “Dirty cars from dirty sidings. Yeccch!” Starting with only a few, James picked up more and more cars at each station until he had a long train. At first, the cars behaved well, but James bumped them so crossly, they were determined to get back at him.Presently, they approached the top of Gordon's Hill. Heavy freight trains stop here to pin down their brakes. James had had an accident with cars before and should have remembered this. “Wait James, wait,” called his driver, but James wouldn't wait. He was too busy thinking about what he would say to Toby when they next met. The freight cars’ chance had come. “Hurrah, hurrah,” they laughed, and banging their buffers, they pushed James down the hill. “On, on, on,” laughed the freight cars.“I've got to stop. I've got to stop,” groaned James. Disaster lay ahead. Something sticky splashed all over James. He had crashed into two tar wagons and was black from smokebox to cab. He was more dirty than hurt. But the tar wagons and some cars had been smashed to smithereens. Toby and Percy were sent to help and came as quickly as they could. “Look here Percy,” laughed Toby, “Whatever is that dirty object?” “That's James. Didn't you know?” “It's James’ shape,” said Toby, “But James is a splendid red engine, and you never see his paint dirty.” James pretended he hadn't heard. Toby and Percy cleared away the unhurt cars and helped James home. Sir Topham Hatt was waiting for them. “Well done, Percy and Toby,” he said. Then he turned to James. “Fancy letting your cars get away. I am surprised. You're not fit to be seen. You must be cleaned at once. Toby and Percy shall have new coats of paint.” “Please, Sir,” said Toby, “Can Henrietta have one too?” “Certainly, Toby,” replied Sir Topham Hatt.“Oh, thank you, Sir. She will be pleased.” All James could do was watch Toby puff off happily with the news. Characters * * * * * * * Henrietta * * Locations * * * Knapford Bus Yard * The Cow Field * Dryaw * Elsbridge * Gordon's Hill * Maron * Tidmouth Sheds * Henry's Tunnel * Trivia *This episode is based off the season 1 episodes James and the Coaches and Dirty Objects. Category:Episodes Category:Jacobacranmer's Episodes Category:Miniseries Episodes Category:Engine Friends Category:Stories From Sodor Category:Episodes about James Category:Completed Episodes